Dispensing and display rack for coiled merchandise



July 21, 1959 o. R. TOLER DISPENSING AND DISPLAY RACK FOR COILED MERCHANDISE Flled Apnl 12. 1957 INVEN TOR. U his H -Tm E r- United States Patent DISPENSING AND DISPLAY RACK FOR COILED MERCHANDISE Otis R. Toler, Moundville, Ala.

Application April 12, 1957, Serial No. 652,616

1 Claim. (Cl. 242-85) This invention relates to a device for displaying and dispensing coiled flexible merchandise and is particularly adapted for displaying and dispensing rubber and plastic hose such, for example, as garden hose.

Hose of the character indicated is packaged in coils of considerable length and is sold by the foot in retail stores, it being the practice to cut oil? from the coil whatever length a customer may require. Once the restraining tape or other restraining means about the coil is cut the coil tends to expand radially so as to occupy a great deal more space and present an untidy appearance. It is accordingly the principal object of my invention to provide a rack on which such coils may be displayed and from which it may be dispensed and at the same time be restrained against radial expansion.

A further object of my invention is to provide a display and dispensing rack for coiled merchandise which shall be adapted to display a plurality of coils of diiferent sizes and from which the same may be dispensed in required lengths.

A display rack embodying features of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the stand showing one compartment of the apparatus with merchandise in place;

Fig. 2 is a plan view; and,

Fig. 3 is a detail elevational view looking in the direction of the arrows IIIIII of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawing for a better understanding of my invention I show a base in which is mounted a vertical standard 11, the standard being held in place by means of a set screw 12. Fixedly mounted on the standard 11, as by means of welding, are a plurality of circular trays or pans 13, 14, 16, 17 and 18 which are progressively larger in diameter and each tray being adapted to accommodate a coil such as 20 of flexible hose. It is contemplated by my invention that the trays 13, 14, 16 and 17 will accommodate hose of smaller diameters than the tray 18.

Mounted in each of the trays in sleeve bearings 19 which surround the standard 11 are reels 21, 22, 23, 24 and 26. As shown in Fig. l, the reels may each be formed of a single sheet of metal or, as is well understood, may consist of arms (not shown) welded to the sleeves 19. The reels 22, 23, 24 and 26 are provided with inner walls 27, 28, 29 and 31, respectively. The sleeve 19 serves as an inner wall for the reel 21. It will be seen that the inner wall of each reel, in association with the outer wall of the circular pan with which it is associated, forms a circular compartment for retaining a coil, such as 20, shown in the pan 18. Each of the outer walls of the pans is provided with a slot 32 which is adapted to receive the protruding end 33 of the hose being supported in that particular compartment. Thus, when a customer specifies the length of hose which he wishes to purchase, the hose is drawn out through the slot 32, measured and cut oh, the associated reel turning around the standard 11 to accommodate withdrawal of the hose. In order to retain the protruding end 33 of the hose in place, each of the pans is provided with a latch 34 pivoted to the exterior of the pan and which is brought down over the end of the hose after the desired length has been cut ofl. In order to prevent possible vertical expansion of a coil in each of the compartments, hinged straps such as 36 may be mounted on the sides of the pans to lie down over the tops of the coils of hose.

As is well known, hose of different diameters are put up in coils of different diameters so that for example, the smallest size hose being sold would be in the compartment 13 and the largest size being sold would be in the compartment 18. Thus it is contemplated that hose to be displayed and dispensed from the compartment 14; would be of such diameter that it would slip down over the tray 13 into the compartment around the reel 27. Also, that the coils to be placed in the compartments in the trays 16, 17 and 18 would be of progressively larger diameters and would slip down over their superjacent trays.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have devised an improved display and dispensing stand for coiled flexible merchandise which is simple of COIlStI'llCr tion and operation and one which provides the maximum storage and display in a minimum space for the coiled merchandise to be sold therefrom.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A rack for displaying and dispensing coiled flexible merchandise, comprising a vertical standard, a plurality of horizontally disposed circular trays fixedly mounted on the standard in superposed spaced relation, with the standard forming a center for each of the trays, each of said trays having an outer vertical wall for restraining radial expansion of a coil of merchandise and each outer wall having a slot adapted to receive a protruding end of the merchandise, said trays being progressively larger in diameter from the uppermost downwardly, whereby larger coils to be placed in lower trays may pass over upper and intermediate trays, a reel rotatably mounted in each tray on the standard and having an inner vertical wall extending in concentric spaced relation to said outer wall and forming therewith a compartment for supporting a coil of rmerchandise, the inner vertical wall of said reel being in generally vertical alignment with the outer wall of the next superjacent tray whereby vertical access to each compartment is provided, and means on each outer wall to secure a protruding end of a coil.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 177,367 Bartlett May 16, 1876 187,271 Haight Feb. 13, 1877 1,465,818 Gunn Aug. 21, 1923 1,681,263 Smith Aug. 21, 1928 

